Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Selenium On The Freshwater Alga Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii With And Without The Proteasome Inhibitor Mg132, E. Patrick Vallentine

Honors Theses

Selenium is a required nutrient in animal life but has not been shown to be needed in plants. The model plant cell Chlamydomonas reinhardtii may be an exception as it appears to increase its growth rate in the presence of selenium. Because selenium has the same valence state as sulfur it may be incorporated into proteins as the modified amino acid selenocysteine. This incorporation of selenocysteine into protein may disrupt the disulfide bridges that give proteins the correct conformation. Misfolded proteins can wreak havoc on a cell. This stress can be measured through several parameters. Chlorophyll levels, glutathione levels, growth, …

One Art With Two Sides: Theatre And Performance Art, Jacob Watts

Honors Theses

Theatre is typically a scripted performance, performed by actors within a "Theatre space" and observed by an audience. When capitalized, "Theatre" refers to a field of art and study. It is produced to tell a story, or create meaning. Theatre contains elements of plot and characters, often using the characters to tell a story. Visual performance art is art that focuses on live human performance and defines itself in terms of "visual art" and not in terms of "Theatre performance." Performance art does not always occupy a specific place or use a specific kind of script. It often lacks character, …

Novel Algorithms For Cross-Ontology Multi-Level Data Mining, Prashanti Manda

Theses and Dissertations

The wide spread use of ontologies in many scientific areas creates a wealth of ontologyannotated data and necessitates the development of ontology-based data mining algorithms. We have developed generalization and mining algorithms for discovering cross-ontology relationships via ontology-based data mining. We present new interestingness measures to evaluate the discovered cross-ontology relationships. The methods presented in this dissertation employ generalization as an ontology traversal technique for the discovery of interesting and informative relationships at multiple levels of abstraction between concepts from different ontologies. The generalization algorithms combine ontological annotations with the structure and semantics of the ontologies themselves to discover interesting …

Improving Commercial Broiler Attic Inlet Ventilation Through Data Acquisition Coupled With Cfd Analysis, Jonathan William Wiley Olsen

Theses and Dissertations

The use of solar heated attic air is an area of increasing interest in commercial poultry production. Attic inlets satisfy the demand for alternative heating while being simple to implement in an existing poultry house. However, little attention has been given to the configuration of the attic space and its influence on thermal energy extraction. This issue was approached in a threefold manner: i.) test case experimental data for the operation of attic inlets in an east-west oriented commercial broiler house was recorded, ii.) a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) attic inlet ventilation model (AIVM) was developed and verified using …

Improving The Performance Of Hyperspectral Target Detection, Ben Ma

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops new approaches for improving the performance of hyperspectral target detection. Different aspects of hyperspectral target detection are reviewed and studied to effectively distinguish target features from background interference. The contributions of this dissertation are detailed as follows. 1) Propose an adaptive background characterization method that integrates region segmentation with target detection. In the experiments, not only unstructured matched filter based detectors are considered, but also two hybrid detectors combining fully constrained least squared abundance estimation with statistic test (i.e., adaptive matched subspace detector and adaptive cosine/coherent detector) are investigated. The experimental results demonstrate that using local adaptive …

Incorporating Software Instruction Into A Civil Engineering Curriculum, Andrew Michael Torries

Theses and Dissertations

This paper contains the results of a survey of almost 43% of all the private civil engineering firms and government agencies in the state of Mississippi. The survey was focused primarily on the use of software and their thoughts on the software knowledge of new college graduates hired at each place of business. There were three key issues the survey focused on: computer programs used, software proficiencies of new college graduates, and the benefits of prior software knowledge. The paper presents the survey results and analyzes the trends in order to discover what civil engineering firms do and want. Also …

Software Requirements Elicitation, Verification, And Documentation: An Ontology Based Approach, Robert A. Elliott

Theses and Dissertations

Software intensive systems are developed to provide solutions in some problem domain and software engineering principles are employed to develop and implement that system. Software engineering principles should enhance the development and production of software artifacts and yet the artifacts often lack in quality. Crucial in the development process are requirements engineering activities and methods for software documentation. This research focused on requirements engineering activities, software requirements documentation and employed a new approach in these activities that incorporated ontology engineering principles. Ontology engineering refers to the set of activities concerned with the ontology development process, the ontology life cycle, the …

Synchrophasor Data Mining For Situational Awareness In Power Systems, Nischal Dahal

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, there has been an increase in the deployment of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) which has enabled real time, wide area monitoring of power systems. PMUs can synchronously measure operating parameters across the grid at typically 30 samples per second, compared to 1 sample per 2-5 seconds of a conventional Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Such an explosion of data in power systems has provided an opportunity to make electrical grids more reliable. Additionally, it has brought a challenge to extract information from the massive amount of data. In this research, several data mining algorithms are used to …

Mechanisms And Patterns Of Invasion In Macrophyte Communities, Jonathan Paul Fleming

Theses and Dissertations

Aquatic plants (macrophytes) are important components of freshwater ecosystems and serve numerous purposes, physical and biological, that help to structure aquatic communities. Although macrophytes represent an essential component of stable aquatic communities, invasive macrophytes may negatively alter ecosystem properties. Non-native, invasive species have been identified as a major cause of biodiversity loss and the increasing prevalence of invasive species has prompted studies to help understand their impacts and to conserve biodiversity. Studying mechanisms of invasion also gives insight into how communities are structured and assembled. This study examined mechanisms that contribute to macrophyte invasion. First, I reviewed literature concerning mechanisms …

The Effects Of Gestalt Principles On Diagram Comprehension: An Empirical Approach, Krystle Dianne Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

In the software engineering process some tasks of software engineers are to design software documents, analyze the documents, and comprehend component relationships within software diagrams. Those diagrams represent the software architecture which models the structure, behavior, relationships, and constraints among system components while ignoring implementation detail. In the software lifecycle, the system is implemented from the software architecture and errors and mistakes caused from a lack of comprehension or incorrect comprehension could cause engineers to incorrectly design the system. These errors can be defined as lapses, slips, or lack of understanding and fall into three categories: skill, rule, and knowledge …

Early-Summer Ichthyoplankton Biodiversity Associated With Oceanic Factors On The Continental Shelf Of The Southern East China Sea, Wen-Yu Chen, Yi-Chen Wang, Ming-An Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Ichthyoplankton communities associated with oceanic factors on the continental shelf of the southern East China Sea were studied in early summer 2009. Temperature and salinity of the stations in this survey respectively varied 13.78~ 27.86°C and 33.14~34.77 psu. In total, 1204 fish larval individuals belonging to 62 families and 120 taxa were identified. Using a cluster analysis, the spatial distributions of larval fish were classified into 3 groups: a coastal group, a shelf group, and an offshore group. The offshore group was further divided into 2 subgroups: a mixed shelf group and a Kuroshio group. The coastal group consisted of …

Quantification Of Carbon Emission Reduction By U-Transportation Service Effect: A Case Study Of Dongtan U-City, Tae-Woong Jung, Mu-Wook Pyeon, Jee-Hee Koo

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

With the emergence of the response to climate change as a global agenda, UNFCCC member countries must report their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and absorptions. With conventional carbon emission estimation methods such as the IPCC Guideline, however, it is impossible to measure reduction of carbon emissions by U-City services. Therefore, this study proposed estimating carbon emission reductions by using U-transportation services as a model because this service appears to be the most effective among U-City services in terms of carbon emission reduction. This approach which is unique in Korea has also attempted to quantify the reduction of carbon emissions by …

Essays On The U. S. Biofuel Policies: Welfare Impacts And The Potential For Reduction Of Ghg Emission, Kassu Wamisho Hossiso

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation study investigates the impact of the US biofuel policies related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission regulation, tax credit and renewable fuel standard (RFS2) mandate over production and consumption of ethanol as well as technical and environmental performance of corn ethanol plants. The study develops analytical models and provides quantitative estimation of the impact of various biofuel policies in each of the three chapters.

Chapter 1 of this dissertation examines the tradeoff between achieving the environmental goal of minimizing life cycle GHG emissions and minimizing production costs in recently built dry-grind corn ethanol plants. The results indicate that the …

Automatic Object Recognition And Registration Of Dynamic Heavy Equipment Using A Hybrid Ladar System, Mengmeng Gai

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

It has been a challenging subject to recognize dynamic objects from a scattered work environment because large and complex 3D site data obtained by a laser scanner makes it difficult to process itself in real or near real time. This thesis introduces a model-based automatic object recognition and registration framework, Projection-Recognition-Projection (PRP), to assist heavy equipment operators in rapidly perceiving 3D working environment at dynamic construction sites. In this study, a digital camera and a hybrid laser scanner were used to rapidly recognize and register dynamic target objects in a 3D space by separating target object’s point cloud data from …

Strategies Used By Hospitals In A Southeastern State To Reduce Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections: Comparing The Outcomes By Hospital Structure And Processes, Furnell Rife

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections are considered a clinical indicator of quality of care. A descriptive research study was conducted to identify the strategies used by hospitals to reduce or eliminate CAUTIs. Infection Control Preventionists were surveyed. In a predominately rural southeastern state, this study demonstrated that about 40% of hospitals surveyed are implementing CAUTI prevention processes.

Grain Size And Texture Effects On Deformation Behavior Of Az31 Magnesium Alloy, W. Yuan, R. S. Mishra

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cold rolled AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet was subjected to friction stir processing to generate four average grain sizes ranging from 0.8 to 9.6 μm. the processed material exhibited a strong basal fiber texture with the c-axis tilted about 35-55° towards the processing direction. the grain size and texture dependence of mechanical behavior were evaluated by using tensile testing along two orthogonal directions. Remarkably high ductility of ~65% was achieved in relatively coarse-grained material that fractured without developing necking when tested in the processing direction. the ductility decreased significantly to ~10% for ultrafine grained material as the tensile yield strength increased …

Curlie Mae Daughtry

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Jewish Cultural Aspirations, Ruth Weisberg

The Jewish Role in American Life: An Annual Review

In the late nineteenth century in Europe and to some extent in the United States, the Jewish upper middle class—particularly the more affluent families—began to enter the cultural spheres of public life, especially in major cities such as Vienna, Berlin, Paris, New York, and London. While many aspects of society were closed to them, theater, the visual arts, music, and art publication were far more inviting, especially if they involved challenging aspects of modernity that might be less attractive to Gentile society. Jews had far less to lose in embracing new forms of expression, and they were very attracted to …

Effectiveness Of A Pilot Gerontological Nursing Certification Preparation Support Program For Registered Nurses Working In Long Term Care, Gail B. Sprigler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Between 2000 and 2025 there will be a 30% increase in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Indiana (Alzheimer’s Association, 2010). Many individuals with AD and related dementia are cared for in long term care communities. Adequate knowledge and expertise of nurses caring for older adults, particularly those with dementia, is important for the delivery of quality care and the promotion of quality of life for residents living in long term care. This pilot project examined the benefit of a resource support program to encourage Gerontological Nursing certification for registered nurses in the long term care setting.

Workplace Lactation Support: Project Development And Implementation, Peggy Rinehart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Objective: A pilot project establishing a lactation support program for staff, faculty, and students at Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) was introduced in September 2012. The lactation support program is intended to promote and support breastfeeding and decrease barriers to continued breastfeeding for mothers who are employed or attending classes. The purpose of this paper is to report on the: (1) development and implementation of a lactation support program in a regional multi-campus community college; and (2) plans for evaluation of the effectiveness of the new program. Setting: The program was implemented at a community college with campus sites …

Experiences Of Success By Minority Students Attending A Predominantly Caucasian Nursing Program, Staci M. Boruff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nursing educators have struggled for many years with the problem of student attrition in the minority population. Because there are so few minority students who choose nursing as a profession, educators strive to retain these students to graduation. Unfortunately, attrition rates of minority students continue to rise despite years of research into the problem. The majority of this research approaches the issue from the viewpoint of the failing student. What might happen if nursing research took a positive approach to the issue? The purpose of this study was to describe the influencing factors that led minority nursing students to be …

Connotational Subtyping And Runtime Class Mutability In Ruby, Ian S. Dillon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Connotational subtyping is an approach to typing that allows an object's type to change dynamically, following changes to the object's internal state. This allows for a more precise representation of a problem domain with logical objects that have variable behavior. Two approaches to supporting connotational subtyping in the Ruby programming language were implemented: a language-level implementation using pure Ruby and a modification to the Ruby 1.8.7 interpreter. While neither implementation was wholly successful the language level implementation created complications with reflective language features like self and super and, while Ruby 1.8.7 has been obsoleted by Ruby 1.9 (YARV), the results …

Support For Higher Education: Perceptions Of Selected University Administrators And Legislators In Tennessee, Deidre Lee Yowell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the perceptions of selected university administrators and legislators concerning levels of support for Tennessee public higher education. The purpose of the study was to gain a greater understanding among the various constituents as to the needs and restraints facing higher education funding. The population targeted for this study was comprised of 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), the Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the President of the University of Tennessee System, and 36 Chief Administrators at 9 state-supported universities. The principal investigator …

Teacher Morale In Rural Northeast Tennessee, Brenda Dishman Eggers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the factors that influence the morale levels of teachers in the public school systems of 3 contiguous counties in rural northeast Tennessee. The level of teacher morale was measured using the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire. Data associated with the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) teacher effect score, grade level taught, years of service, gender, and level of education were gathered. The morale score and the teacher effect score were then examined to ascertain if there was a relationship with the other factors. Data from this study were examined using the Statistical Process …

Uneasy Waters: The Night Riders At Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee, 1908, Jama Mcmurtery Grove

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On October 19, 1908, night riders at Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee kidnapped and murdered Captain Quentin Rankin, an attorney and shareholder in the West Tennessee Land Company. The murder made national news, with coverage emphasizing the night riders' demand for fishing rights. In response, Governor Malcolm Patterson called out the militia to suppress the uprising and advocated for state acquisition of the lake as a means to prevent further violence. In the accepted historical narrative, the uprising at Reelfoot Lake represents an example of rural resistance to the threat that modernization posed to traditional access rights but ignores much of the …

The Frame Of Social Media In Academic And Industry, Weiwen Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the development of technology, the communication between people has changed rapidly. Social media is a type of digital network designed to share content with other internet users based on their preferences and associations. The purpose of this research was to understand how industry press and the professional market place frame social media today. Moreover, this research showed the explored current social media pedagogy in business and communication programs to see if it matches the need of industry expectations. This study was a content analysis of the text-based study that uses a qualitative software-Leximancer to analyze data. The result suggested …

The Influences Of Caregiver-Child Interactions And Temperament On Cortisol Concentrations Of Toddlers In Full-Day Childcare, Helen Morris Lane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the influences of caregiver-child interaction and temperament on cortisol concentrations of toddlers in full-day childcare. Sensitive and responsive caregiving is critical to the quality of children's early experiences. Caregivers who are attuned to unique needs of young children can support and guide child growth and development. In the context of relationships the child grows, develops, and learns to biologically respond to events in his or her world that he or she may perceive as threatening, with the production of cortisol. Studies show that regulation of cortisol release later in life may be …

Evaluation Of Heat Stress In Migrant Farmworkers, Stephen L. Mcqueen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rate of heat-related fatalities in crop production workers is almost 20 times that of other industries. Heat stress was investigated in migrant tomato workers in July, 2012, using measurements of body temperature, heart rates, body weight loss, evaluation of the thermal environment, and survey data. Using occupational safety criteria, these workers were found to work in an environment that should require protective measures to prevent heat strain. Increases in body temperature, heart rate, and physiological strain correlated with heat exposure. One third of workers had body weight percentage losses that indicated dehydration. However, working in hot environments appears to …

Public Perceptions Regarding Sex Offenders And Sex Offender Management, Jessica Duncan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was an observation of the public's knowledge and perceptions on sex offenders, sex offenses, and sex offender management policies. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 282 students at East Tennessee State University. Along with the basic demographic variables, respondent's field of study was measured as a main independent variable. For example, it was hypothesized that students studying within the criminal justice field would hold more accurate beliefs concerning the sex offender population. Overall, the study proved to be statistically insignificant. Multivariate analysis did show, however, that certain demographic variables were more predictive in determining an …

The Olympic Glory Of Jesse Owens: A Contribution To Civil Rights And Society, Casey Aaron Nash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Jesse Owens was the star of the Berlin Olympics in 1936. His four gold medals in Hitler's Germany, as an African American, had far reaching implications back in the United States. Despite segregation and a social hierarchy that was an impasse to both black opportunity and achievement, Owens created a lasting legacy that drastically impacted race relations. The purpose of this thesis was to examine what the Olympic glory of Owens represented for society. Owens as an Olympian in 1936 manufactured a brand of social capital that tied people together in commonality—as Americans. As well, in both myth and deed, …